Wanna buy the Pond Eddy bridge?

The historic Pond Eddy Bridge between Shohola and New York is for sale by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services.

The bridge, slated for a $13 million replacement in 2017, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge, which is the only access for some 20 homes in Pond Eddy, required almost $500,000 in emergency repairs this year.

The state has issued an "Invitation for Bid" for any county, city, borough or township within the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's District 4, which includes Pike, Wayne, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.

State-owned bridges are first offered to other state agencies, then to municipalities in their region, then to nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and the general public through the state surplus process.

The single-lane Pond Eddy bridge was built in 1904 for horse carriages. It is being sold "as is" without a warranty.

Because of its historic status, the bridge cannot be sold as scrap metal.

The sale is restricted to bidders who propose to purchase the bridge as a unit for the specific purpose of reassembly in an alternate location, bid documents say.

Bidders must describe the property where the bridge would be relocated, the intended use and agree to reassemble the bridge in 10 years or less.

PennDOT will remove the bridge from the Delaware River and transport it to an agreed-upon location.

The new owner will be responsible for costs associated with the rehabilitation and future maintenance of the bridge.

A restrictive covenant will be required that would mandate that the purchaser contact the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission regarding any proposed changes to the historic characteristics of the bridge, according to bidding documents.

If the buyer intends to demolish the bridge, the commission will have the right to seek a new owner and have the bridge relocated to another site at no cost to the current property owner.

Potential buyers must submit a letter of interest no later than Aug. 29.

Letters should be sent to the Department of General Services, Bureau of Supplies and Surplus Operations, 2221 Forster St., Room G-49, Harrisburg, PA 17125.

Those who submit a letter of interest must submit a bid package, including the bid price, to the bureau by Sept. 5.

The bid package must comply with the requirements set forth in the Special Terms and Conditions for the Sale of Historic Bridges document.

Any questions can be directed to William Carr, chief at the State Surplus Division, at wicarr@pa.gov or 717-787-9068.

The submitted questions and any responses will be posted on the Bureau's website at bit.ly/1qY9cF3